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He swallowed nervously as he stood there, the anticipation both delicious and terrifying at once. The music started playing the appropriate tune then, and his eyes brightened as he watched for her arrival. And there she was, so ethereally beautiful, it hurt his heart.
Adam Copeland managed to somehow stand still as he kept his gaze on her. She was dressed all in white satin and lace, and looked more gorgeous at that very moment than he'd ever noticed before. God, she simply took his breath away.
Amy Dumas smiled, her expression lovely as she kept her hazel eyes fixed to his green. She couldn't believe it. This was more wonderful than her most vivid and intense dreams. She was getting married - and to the man of her dreams. She couldn't remember when she'd felt more ecstatic. She held her breath as she approached the altar on her father's arm. And then, her dad released her, kissing her gently on her cheek before turning her in to her exceptionally handsome husband-to-be.
Adam cocked his head as he gazed tenderly into her eyes and took gentle hold of her hand. Her gaze was fixed on those emerald depths, and she felt the butterflies swirling through her stomach. Then, reluctant to tear her eyes away from the tall blond man's face, she turned to face forward, as the priest was beginning to speak.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Adam and Amy in holy matrimony..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She sat there restlessly, alternately curling her right hand into a fist and then bringing it up to her mouth to chew on the cuticle. Damn it, she'd given herself a hangnail. And this wasn't exactly becoming, to be nibbling on her fingers in the middle of a wedding ceremony - not that she was by any means thrilled to be here to witness this... disaster.
The woman didn't know how she was able to keep the scowl from her face as she gazed up at the couple at the altar. The two of them looked so happy, yet it downright sickened her. It wasn't fair... Life usually *wasn't* - but this was just too much.
Her pulse was ringing loudly in her ears as the priest instructed the lovebirds to exchange rings. And then, a moment later, she found herself positively nauseated as they recited their own vows. She wanted nothing more than to clap her hands over her ears, block out the offending sound of their undying, ever-devoted love for one another - but she couldn't do that without arousing suspicion. So instead, she sat there, legs crossed, hands finally folded primly in her lap as she stared at their backs. And was it wrong of her for wishing she had the nerve to run up to the bride, turn the bitch around and shove her down on her ass?
"And by the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife... You may kiss the bride!"
She watched as Adam and Amy turned to face one another, their profiles now visible to her. Somehow, she was unable to tear her gaze away as the blond man pulled his new wife into his embrace, the redhead's arms instantly encircling his neck - and then, the two engaged in a kiss. She pressed her lips together, the rage searing inside of her. This was not good... It was not good at *all*.
The woman closed her eyes tightly, a long, drawn breath escaping her as she turned away, refusing to look at the happy newly married couple any longer. In her peripheral vision, however, she could see them as they walked off down the aisle, the wedding party trailing after. She kept her head turned, but something suddenly caught her attention...
... The man, a little ways off to her right, who was watching her.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He sat at the table with a cheerful smile on his face as he watched Adam and Amy Copeland. They were in the middle of the dance floor, cutting their wedding cake. He could hear the lyrical laughter of the redhead as she boldly grabbed a piece of the delicious dessert and smeared it across her blond husband's mouth. And then, her laughs grew slightly louder as the Canadian tugged her to him and pressed a kiss to her lips, getting cake all over *her* in the process.
The man wondered how much longer he would have to put up with this facade. As happy as he was forcing himself to appear, such an emotion couldn't be farther from the truth. And the truth was, he despised Adam Copeland. The bastard had taken her away from him - and for that, he would never forgive the other man.
The grin slowly vanishing from his face, he turned toward a nearby table - and that was when his gaze fell on the woman he'd been studying earlier, during the reception. He wondered if she would come with him if he asked to speak with her in private. He guessed it was worth a shot. Lord knew, he wanted to get the hell out of here.
He stood up then, hating the feel of the suit he was wearing and was grateful Adam hadn't made him one of his ushers. It was bad enough he'd have been forced to wear a tuxedo, but standing up there on the side while the blond man was marrying Amy would've been beyond unacceptable.
Sidling up to the woman's table, he noted that she'd barely touched the scrumptious dinner they'd been served. His guess was that this bullshit was bothering her just as much as it was him.
"Excuse me..." He reached down to touch her shoulder, and she looked up sharply, as though surprised. Apparently, she hadn't been aware that he'd approaching her.
"Oh... hi," she said, managing a slightly weak smile.
"Hey." He made a slight gesture with a slight tilt of his head. "I was wondering... Would you-"
"Come on, it's time to dance!" The excited exclamation had come from Trish Stratus, the little blonde's face donning a bright smile as she was pulled past them by her boyfriend, Chris Jericho.
"Nah... I don't think so," the man said, but the little blonde wouldn't let up.
"Come *on*, it's our friends' wedding day! It's a time to be happy and have fun!"
He arched a brow as he turned back to the woman whose shoulder he'd tapped.
"Well... So... May I have this dance?"
"What?" she said softly, a look of confusion crossing her features as she looked from him to the newlyweds on the dance floor. "I... oh, okay." Reluctantly, she stood up and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor.
The two moved around in relative silence for long moments before she realized the man was dancing her to a remote spot - as though trying to get away from the others.
"Are you hating this shit as much as I am?" he asked in a loud whisper, his lips right by her ear.
She pulled slightly back just to look up into his face in surprise. She honestly thought she hadn't been so transparent.
"Um... How did you know?"
He chuckled sardonically before shrugging.
"Just call it a hunch," he replied.
She winced, fearful that tears might actually start spilling from her eyes and down her cheeks. But instead, she swallowed it all back, refusing to give in to them.
"I just hate this," she admitted hoarsely.
"Oh, so do I... And I was thinking... You and I have got to have a talk."
"We do?" She stared into his dark eyes again, wonder filling her.
"Oh, yes... Lisa Marie, I have a little proposition for you."
Lisa Marie Varon's lips parted as she gazed into Matt Hardy's brown eyes, and she wondered what on earth he meant. After a brief moment, she found her voice again.
"Is that so?"